Most people believe they have a good idea of what criminal law in Rapid City SD is. They understand it’s illegal to steal, assault another person, drive under the influence, and commit a variety of other actions. No matter how much they understand, it’s important for anyone who is facing a criminal charge to speak with a lawyer. Criminal law has a lot more to it than just what the laws state, and there may be varying degrees of the legal system the person doesn’t understand.
Criminal law is based on both the written laws and case law. Case law is created when a judge rules on a case based on their interpretation of the law. This can clarify a law and can be used in every subsequent case to show precedence for how the law was followed. It’s often difficult for the average person to keep up with all of the cases and the laws they pertain to. A lawyer who works in criminal law, however, understands how to find relevant case law and use it to their advantage when they’re working on a case.
It’s also difficult for a person to know how to represent themselves. Even if they are able to find relevant case law and apply it to their own case successfully, it may not be the right outcome they’re looking for. Often, they won’t understand the entire process from the time they’re pulled over until their hearings. They may, for example, not realize their arrest was unlawful, and they can dispute the charges based on that fact. A lawyer will be able to spot this right away and use it to have the charges dropped for their client. Since they are very familiar with the entire legal procedure, they’re going to know just what to look for to create a better defense.
Understanding and applying criminal law in Rapid City SD, takes more than the knowledge the average person has. It takes years of study and experience to fully understand criminal law and how to use it to help a defendant. For this reason, anyone facing criminal charges should speak with an attorney right away and not try to get out of the charges on their own. They may end up making a mistake that could cost them their freedom.
